Preview: Cox looks ahead to Fleetwood Town

Simon Cox says the squad have taken confidence from gaining a point against Northampton Town after being 2-0 down at half time.

Blues are hoping to have some injured players back fit again this weekend.

And Cox said last week’s point has given them belief considering they were 2-0 down at the break.

“I think early on in the season, if we had gone 2-0 down, we probably wouldn’t have come back, which in the grand scheme of things, would be a good point.

“So that’s given us confidence this week, that we were able to sit in the dressing room at half time 2-0 down and look at each other and say ‘come on, we’re a lot better than this’.

“We showed that we were, and we came out with a positive result and I thought once we got back to 2-2, we were the only team who were going to win it.”

The Blues striker also believes a fit-again Anthony Wordsworth is a big bonus and said it’s great to see him back.

“It was brilliant,” Cox added. “I thought he did really well on the basis that he hasn’t played a lot of football or did a whole of training, especially in pre-season.

“It’s great to have him back out there and back in training. He’s a great character and a very good player for us.”

Blues travel to Fleetwood this weekend to face Uwe Rosler’s side who occupy eighth place.

Blues will be hoping to better last season’s draw, where they were unlucky to concede late on in the game.

“Last year, if you cast your mind back, it wasn’t the greatest of times. We didn’t have the bus, we had to get taxis to the game, and then we stepped out on the pitch and we seemed to put all of that behind us. Woody scored in that game, and hopefully he can repeat that and we can hold out this time.”

Nile Ranger is available for the clash, and Cox is happy to be linking up with the striker who he formed a decent partnership last season.

Cox hopes he will benefit and find his goalscoring touch soon.

“On his day he’s unplayable, and we just need more of them days.

“He needs to get back to doing what he’s doing in terms of his work ethic and being out there for 90 minutes.

“First and foremost he’s got to help the team, and that’s what we’re on his case about.

“The goals will come, as it will for every single one of us who gets in them positions.

“I’ve been very disappointed with the lack of shots that have hit the target this year so far, which I’ve been working on.

“It’s getting back to doing the things that are natural. Keep getting in the positions and when you get one, the other one comes and a few come at the same time.

“It’s just about staying in the right positions and not snatching, not becoming too frustrated.

“But at the end of the day, it’s about making sure you in the game, not who has scored. Obviously, I would like to score and get the win, that would be perfect.”

Match Report: Fleetwood 2-4 Southend

Blues earned their first win since the opening day of the season with an excellent 4-2 win against Fleetwood at Highbury Stadium.

Phil Brown’s men went into today’s trip to Fleetwood with just one change to last week's starting line-up against Northampton, with Josh Wright making his debut

This change looked to have paid dividends, as it took Blues just two minutes to take the lead, following a free kick won by Simon Cox from around 25 yards out on the right-hand side. Stephen McLaughlin whipped in a dangerous ball, which Cox managed to guide into the bottom right-hand corner.

However, straight from kick-off Amari’i Bell nodded the ball past the onrushing Blues keeper Mark Oxley to equalise following a long ball played up the pitch, which saw Bell as the furthest player forward.

Just past the half-hour mark Fleetwood’s Aidan O’Neill was sent off for a professional foul; as Ryan Leonard nicked the ball off the Australian midfielder, and the Cod’s midfielder brought down Leonard as last man on the edge of the penalty area. Wordsworth took the resulting free-kick and fired it just wide of Alex Cairn’s left-hand post.

Blues took full advantage of having the extra man, and in the 40th minute McLaughlin rounded off a superb passing move by Blues and drilled the ball into the bottom right-hand corner from just inside the penalty area to make it 2-1 to Southend.

On the verge of half time, Ranger cut inside Nathan Pond on the right wing, having been put down the line and was brought down by Fleetwood’s skipper in the penalty area as he looked to take a shot. Ranger stepped up to take the penalty and coolly side-footed the ball into the bottom right-hand corner giving Cairns no chance in the Fleetwood goal.

Blues started the second half in similar fashion to the first, as some excellent link-up play between Simon Cox and Nile Ranger saw the latter get a shot off in the penalty area, however, his effort lacked power and was comfortably saved by Cairns.

Mark Oxley was forced into a rare save, as a long ball up the pitch by Uwe Rosler’s side found Devante Cole at the edge of the penalty area, who teed up Bobby Grant whose powerful drive was beaten away by Oxley.

Moments later Blues came close to making it four, as Josh Wright who was having an impressive debut produced a low cross from the right-hand side which McLaughlin met at the back post, but, the Irishman couldn’t quite convert the opportunity on the stretch and fired the ball just over the crossbar.

Fleetwood came close to scoring a spectacular goal with just under 10 minutes to go, as Cole cut inside a curled an effort narrowly over the top right-hand corner from around 25 yards out.

Jason Demetriou came close to scoring a spectacular goal with five minutes to go, as he came close chipping Cairns from around 25 yards out; but, moments later Jermaine McGlashan added to the scoreline following a superb solo run by fellow substitute Marc-Antoine Fortune down the left wing, who then slid a pass into McGlashan who thumped an effort in off the left-hand post from around 10 yards out.

Fleetwood grabbed a late consolation goal in stoppage time through Cole, but, Blues comfortably saw out the final two minutes and will be looking for a similar quality performance against AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday.

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Supporters should enter the stadium via the turnstiles indicated on the tickets, turnstiles open approx. 90 minutes before kick-off.